6 Tips for an Eco-Friendly Wedding Reception

One of the beautiful advantages of a modern wedding is how you can update it to reflect your beliefs and share them with the attendees. And you can integrate both ethical living and environmentally friendly habits into your reception. Here are 6 tips for an eco-friendly reception. Note that all of this advice is practical for anyone with any budget.

Pick the Right Location

One of the popular tips for hosting an eco-friendly wedding reception is holding it at an eco-friendly location. Outdoor gardens and especially those that use your funds to save local plants are one option. If you want to host the reception outdoors, hold it in a pavilion with fans instead of a tent with artificial air conditioning. Holding it indoors in local museums or art galleries is another option. Wherever you hold the reception, have it close to the wedding venue, if not part of the wedding venue to minimize travel.

One issue often overlooked when planning the reception is the location of the ceremony. For example, destination weddings where you expect everyone to fly to Hawaii or Bermuda so you don’t have to travel after the ceremony to the hotel are incredibly wasteful. Conversely, holding the wedding reception near your home or a centrally located facility within easy commuting distance of all attendees is the ideal solution.

Select the Right Food and Drink

Select locally sourced wines instead of something that comes from abroad. Choose seasonal foods where possible. You don’t have to go overboard on organic food, since much of it is overpriced for a green-washed label and isn’t really better for people or the environment. Conversely, asking for homemade food gifts in place of appliances you won’t be using anyway is an excellent way to secure food and drink for the wedding. Another factor to consider is food waste. Don’t plan a massive buffet if most of it will be thrown away. If there is food left over, think about how you can donate it at the end of the event before you start placing orders. Composting is a slightly better choice than throwing it all away.

Plan for Hygiene and Health

A common mistake for planning eco-friendly receptions is failing to take hygiene into account. They plan to bring many people into a facility and a few end up going in the bushes instead of using the bathroom. You can solve this problem by renting Satellite restroom trailers. Aside from properly collecting and disposing of waste, you’ll give everyone proper facilities for changing clothes and washing their hands, reducing the risk of illness after the event.

Waste Not, Want Not

Another factor to consider is the waste your event generates. You can reduce this by serving food on small reusable plates instead of paper plates guests throw away. Consider giving out compostable plates and cutlery. An ideal situation is giving away keepsake beverage glasses as gifts to your guests so they don’t have to throw it away. However, hiring a caterer to serve food and drink before taking up dishes they’ll wash and reuse is certainly better than throwing away everything people ate with once.

Think of the Flowers

Consider using artificial flowers that guests can take home instead of living plants. If you want to use flowers, arrange for sustainably grown flowers. Don’t go for the upscale imported Peruvian roses.

Consider Your Vendor Selection

Try to find local service providers who in turn rely on local sourcing. You’ll certainly help the environment if the band is local instead of someone driving in from 300 miles away. This should include caterers in the area if you’re not going to buy items in the area to use for the event yourself.

Having an eco-friendly wedding is all about making the right decisions. You don’t have to rearrange your whole reception in order to do so, just keeping waste at a minimum and having the proper installations in place to manage both human and material waste is already a step in the right direction.